S8E106: Christine Zimmermann-Loessl / Association for Vertical Farming - Advancing Sustainability and the Vertical Farming Movement

Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, Chairwoman at Association for Vertical Farming. Association for Vertical Farming (AVF for short) is an internationally active nonprofit organization of individuals, companies, research institutions and universities focusing on leading and advancing the sustainable growth and development of the vertical farming movement.

Today, Harry and Christine talk about how Christine’s entrepreneurial spirit and natural curiosity led her from studying philosophy and political science to heading one of the largest vertical farming advocate organizations. Christine speaks to the need for all companies in the vertical farming industry to work together to combat issues like overpopulation, climate change and other existential planetary crises facing our world. Finally, Christine and Harry talk about the critical role technology continues to play in our world and our future as well as the importance of remembering that we are all part of nature. It is at this intersection of technology and nature that vertical farming can play a saving role.

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Key Takeaways

03:41 – Harry welcomes to the show Christine Zimmermann- Loessl who shares the origins of her entrepreneurial spirit, her background in philosophy and political science, and her goals to understand and positively impact the world

10:26 – An early passion for Chinese medicine

17:08 – The origin story of Association for Vertical Farming and early challenges faced

24:29 – The evolution of Christine’s role at AVF and what she’s observed about competitors and the overall industry

30:00 – Relationship-building in the vertical farming space and growing AVF through partnerships

40:53 – Christine makes a specific ask of the audience

45:56 – Harry thanks Christine for joining the show and reiterates where listeners can go to learn more about AVF and connect with Christine

Tweetable Quotes

“My father was an entrepreneur, so I grew up with that spirit of being independent and working in the framework that is set by myself and not by somebody else. I could never imagine myself in an office job from nine to five.” (08:20) (Christine)

“Now, with vertical farming, all of that comes together for me with technology and biology. The marriage of these two important developments in our history, I think, is a really decisive transformation for us.” (14:57) (Christine)

“The mandate [of Association of Vertical Farming] clearly was to raise awareness and build a collaboration and cooperation platform where the few people or institutions who were active in that field had a place together to exchange and grow organically from there.” (20:41) (Christine)

“In the beginning, as a newcomer into that field with a very different background in philosophy and political science and not agriculture, I really played the role of organization setup for the legal and administrative things. There were people in the front representing and knowing much more than me about that and I was really more in the back than I am now. That totally changed, but I really had to grow into that role and into the field to really understand.” (24:36) (Christine)

“Technology is important, but please never forget that we are part of nature. Vertical farming can play a role in freeing land giving back to nature and not using more and more land. That is what my understanding is.” (40:21) (Christine)